Pay Attention!
by RicardianScholar Clark-Weasley
Summary: When Adrien and Marinette are forced to swap seats in class, Adrien learns that you notice things when you look at it at a different angle.


"Marinette, Adrien," Ms Bustier called out after class one day, "could you please stay behind for a moment?"

Simultaneously Marinette and Adrien gulped.

Marinette felt her palms sweat rapidly as her heart raced and her stomach twisted uncomfortably. She had a horrible, sinking, feeling that she was going to be in a whole lot of trouble. This wasn't the first time she had been asked to stay behind nor was it the first time she had been called out for missing classes, not handing in homework, and falling asleep in class.

Being a superhero made school life insanely difficult as Akumas don't wait until school has finished or when it's not a school night to attack.

The last time she had to bring a report home to her parents and it resulted in her being grounded.

Now she dreaded going home to inform her parents that she had been expelled.

The thought terrified her so much that she began to panic and forgot entirely that Adrien had been asked to stay behind.

Adrien, however, felt queasy.

He had managed to hide his skiving in order to save Paris by telling the school he had work. The school trusted his word, as he truly did have to leave early or arrive late due to photoshoots, and never questioned it.

But this doesn't change the fact that Akumas attack at night and with his already busy schedule, he was left with very little time to actually complete his homework. His grades were beginning to suffer a little bit and now he was utterly terrified of the thought he had actually failed something which he would have no choice but to tell his father.

And then his father would pull him out of school.

And then he would never see Marinette again.

Or Nino, Alya, Kim, Max, Alix, Juleka, Rose, Nathaniel, Mylene, and Ivan!

(He had no doubt that he would still see Chloe and Sabrina. After all, not even a stampede of elephants could keep Chloe from visiting and wherever she went, Sabrina often followed.)

"No need to look so frightened, you two," Ms Bustier laughed softly. Her smile was friendly and she didn't look at all disappointed. "You're not in any trouble," Adrien and Marinette relaxed at that as they both sighed in relief with perfect harmony. Ms Bustier's eyes sparkled in amusement at that. "It's come to my notice recently that Marinette is struggling to pay attention in class," Marinette flushed bright pink at that as Adrien glanced over her in concern, "and I was hoping, Adrien, if you would be so kind to switch seats with her."

"Of course!" Adrien said quickly. "Anything to help Marinette," he smiled brightly and Marinette felt herself fold into herself as she tried to not squeak in delighted embarrassment. "If you need any help understanding the class material I will be more than glad to help you," he offered sweetly.

"Th-th-th-thank y-y-y-you!" Marinette stammered out. "That's very kind of you"

"Yes," Ms Bustier agreed, "it certainly is. Thank you Adrien, you may leave now."

Adrien nodded and gave Marinette one last smile as he reached out to squeeze her shoulder reassuringly. "I will see you tomorrow," he said.

Marinette's cheeks now bordered on red as she nodded. "S-s-s-sure!" she squeaked out. "See you today – _ah_ – I mean yesterday, no! _Tomorrow_!" she managed to choke out. "I will see you tomorrow!"

She then slumped in relief that she managed to get the sentence out correctly in the end.

Fortunately Adrien had already left the classroom at this point. Unfortunately, however, Ms Bustier had witnessed the entire thing and stared down at Marinette in amusement.

" _Gah_!" Marinette groaned.

"It's perfectly normal to have a crush, Marinette," Ms Bustier said gently, "but your education must come first. I need you to _pay attention_ in class from now on."

"Yes Miss," Marinette said meekly. Her cheeks burned in embarrassment and she suddenly found her shoes far more interesting to look at as she wished the ground would open up and swallow her up. "I will pay attention, I promise."

"I have no doubt you will," Ms Bustier said cheerfully, "now you can no longer stare at Adrien Agreste during my lectures."

Marinette squeaked at that.

As soon as she was dismissed she hurried out of the classroom as quickly as she could before the embarrassment got even worse.

Unfortunately she tripped repeatedly in her attempt of an escape and had to endure her teacher's laughter following her down the corridor.

It didn't help that Tiki laughed at her once they were home either.

MLBMLBMLBMLBMLBMLBMLBMLB

It was stating the obvious but it had to be said…The view from Marinette's old seat was different from the front row.

Instead of having a clear, undisrupted view of the board and their teacher where Adrien had no choice but to pay attention in class (not that that bothered him whatsoever) there was now this head in the way.

A very, _very,_ pretty head.

A head that from this angle (i.e. from the behind) looked awfully a lot like Ladybug's head. Her black-blue hair, which was the exact shade of blue-black, was perfectly parted into two pigtails. He had spent plenty of time on patrols and when they were supposed to be scouting for the latest Akuma staring at the back of Ladybugs head and sighing. He knew every little hair to the last detail, the perfect arch of her pale neck, and the way the sun gleamed on her unique hair colour….

He had never noticed that Marinette had such a resemblance to the love of his life before, but then again he had never looked at the back of Marinette's head before either.

Quickly enough Adrien found himself unable to pay attention to his teacher as he was drawn to the back of Marinette's head to fuel some of his Ladybug induced fantasies of moonlight love declarations and heavy kisses.

It didn't help that once Marinette accidentally, in the most spectacularly comical ways, dropped her pen on the floor. There was a lot of fumbling as she tried to catch her pen only to flick it away with an awkward turn of her fingers and she soon dived across her desk to try and catch it before it clattered on the floor.

Chloe had laughed cruelly while Ms Bustier sighed heavily and asked Marinette to try and not make a scene.

Adrien, however, froze, his eyes went wide as saucers and his cheeks burned bright red while his mind went completely blank at the sight presented to him.

After all, Marinette's very lovely, pert, round bottom was right in his face.

And the only difference between her bottom and Ladybug's bottom was that instead of a scarlet suit with black polka dots, Marinette's was covered in pink denim.

Adrien thanked his usually unlucky stars that he wasn't a Japanese Anime character because he was very likely to have died from a nosebleed at the sight.

(Which would have been painfully awkward to explain to this father and undoubtedly Plagg would have laughed himself to death at the sight of it all.)

And it was then when he began to notice Marinette.

That sounded wrong.

He had always _noticed_ Marinette before. She was one of his first friends at this school and he had always paid attention to how nice she was, how creative, how clever, how brave when she could be when she really pushes herself, and how adorably endearing she was with her blushes and stammering.

But now he noticed when she was in the room. Or more accurately, he now noticed when she _arrived and left_ the classroom.

He began to notice because it strangely coincided with every time he arrived and left the classroom.

Every time he was late because of an Akuma attack, Marinette ran in three seconds after him, out of breath and exhausted. Every time he had to get up and leave because there was an Akuma attack, Marinette abruptly really needed the bathroom too.

At first he thought he was just imagining it which was why he asked Nino.

"Is it just me," he spoke up randomly one lunchtime, "or does Marinette come and leave the classroom every time I do?"

"Well," Nino scrunched his face up thoughtfully, "not _every_ time. Sometimes when you have a photoshoot, you know the real ones, where the teachers already know because Nathalie called the school to let them know, not the hastily made up ones when you suddenly jump out of your seat and blatantly **lie** , before you dash out." Adrien flushed a bright pink at that. He hadn't thought he had been that obvious in his lying before. "Yeah," Nino smirked at Adrien's embarrassment, "when you have the real ones, Marinette doesn't even seem to notice you leaving."

"Oh," Adrien murmured.

He tried to not sound too disappointed. He shouldn't be disappointed that Marinette doesn't notice him. He should be relieved that there was one less girl in the world who wasn't crazy about the famous model Adrien Agreste.

Yet for some reason, he didn't know why, the idea of Marinette not noticing him really, really, stung.

"So, ah, erm," Adrien stuttered under Nino's highly amused stare, "she only leaves when I jump up unexpectedly and leave?"

" _Dude_!" Nino rolled his eyes. "I just said every time you jump up so does she. It's really weird, you two do it almost simultaneously, which is probably why Alix and some of the others think that you're snogging in a cupboard."

Adrien choked on his lunch at that.

"Judging by that reaction," Nino teased, "I take it you're actually _not_ snogging in the cupboard."

" _Of course not_!"

"Chill Dude," Nino winked, "I know. If you were Marinette would be skipping and singing out of joy."

"Wait, what?"

Nino had refused to elaborate but Adrien was too distracted to care about that part. His mind was too stuck on the idea that Marinette only had ever left the classroom when he left abruptly with a fake sounding lie. And he only ever did that for an Akuma attack.

Every time Alya caught whiff of one online (despite the fact she shouldn't be on her phone during class) and announces it to the class, Adrien and Marinette jumped out of their seats at the same time.

First he thought Marinette was trying to film the Akuma attacks for Alya. Their teachers won't let Alya out because they know she would throw herself in danger so it would be so like Marinette to help her friend instead of caring for her own safety. He kept his eyes peeled as Chat Noir for her but he never caught sight of her whatsoever. No scrap of pink material or black-blue hair to be seen.

And yet whenever there was an Akuma attack she still left the classroom when he did.

Curiosity killing him (pun fully intended), Adrien was determined to find out exactly where it was Marinette went.

So the next time there was an Akuma attack while they were in class, Alya was once again on her phone when she gasped loudly.

"Miss!" she shouted as she jumped out of her seat. "There's an Akuma attack out by the Seine, could I-"

"Alya," Ms Bustier said sternly, "for the _last time_ you cannot throw yourself into danger. Now sit down and pay attention this material will be on your final ex-"

"May I please got to the bathroom?" Marinette burst out as she leaped out of her own seat. "I really need to go!"

" _Me too_!" Adrien yelped. "Please Miss!"

Ms Bustier closed her eyes briefly and inhaled deeply. As if she was trying to keep herself calm. She then breathed out slowly as she opened her eyes. "Very well," she said coolly, "but you best come back soon."

Marinette babbled something hurriedly as she left the classroom and Adrien was barely able to jerk out a nod before he ran off after Marinette.

Usually he then darted into the nearest bathroom and transform but this time he was determined to get his answers and he followed Marinette closely.

"Tiki!" he heard her call out softly. " _Transform Me_!"

He caught sight of a bright pinkish light that filled the hallway before he turned the corner to see the back of Ladybug as she headed towards the window.

Marinette was nowhere in sight.

Adrien's eyes widened and his jaw dropped open as realisation sank into him.

There was no doubt about it whatsoever…

Marinette was Ladybug.

MLBMLBMLBMLBMLBMLBMLBMLB

It really goes without saying that Adrien couldn't take his eyes off of Marinette at all now.

It had been three painfully long weeks since he found out that she was Ladybug and he had yet to scrounge up the courage to tell her that a. he knows, b. he is Chat Noir, and C. he is madly in love with her.

He was utterly petrified that she would be furious with him for all three things and fling him off of her balcony, or whatever rooftop they're on during Patrol, or out of a window in school.

He dreaded even more that she would be utterly horrified at the idea of him knowing her identity, of him being her partner, and even more horrified of him being in love with her.

They hadn't exactly had the best start as Adrien and Marinette after all.

So he has spent most of his class time either imagining the very worst scenarios when he finally tells Marinette he knows or indulging in the very best fantasies starring his Princess.

It really goes without saying that his performance in class takes a total nosedive for the worst.

And it was noticed by the teachers.

"Adrien, Nino," Ms Bustier called out after class one day, "could you please stay behind for a moment?"

Adrien swallowed audibly before he nodded hastily. "Sure," he tried to sound up-beat but failed dismally as his mind eye was tortured with images of being pulled out of school.

Nino, completely oblivious to what could be the problem, just shrugged.

"It has come to my attention," Ms Buster said kindly, "that the new seating arrangement isn't working in Adrien's favour and he is now struggling to pay attention in class." Adrien flushed in embarrassment at that. He blushed even more deeply when he caught Nino gawking at him in shock. It wasn't exactly a secret that Adrien liked to learn and usually paid the upmost attention in school. "So I was hoping Nino if you would swap seats with Adrien so he has no choice but to look at the board."

"Sure," Nino shrugged, "I'm cool with that dude – err, I mean, Miss!" he corrected hastily as Ms Bustier quirked an eyebrow up at him.

"Thank you Nino," she replied, "you may go now. I need a private word with Adrien."

Nino nodded and left the classroom quickly abandoning Adrien to his terrifying fate of being scolded by Ms Bustier.

"Now Adrien," Ms Bustier said sternly, "I really do want you to pay attention in class. As I have told Marinette it is perfectly natural to have a crush but your education must come first. Your futures depend on it."

Wait _, what?!_

Adrien's eyes widened so much that he was sure they popped out of his head. Was it just him or did his teacher just imply that the reason he and Marinette had to swap seats in the first place was because she was too distracted in class _staring at him_?!

God, he hoped so.

"I am hoping with both of you sitting at the front you'll have no choice but to pay attention," Ms Bustier continued, "but if I find neither of you are. I will have to start re-arranging the whole class's seating arrangement."

"Don't worry, Miss," Adrien said quickly, "I will focus more on class. Promise."

He wished he hadn't been so confident about that because the moment he started to sit next to Marinette it was more difficult to pay attention to the teacher.

Really, really, difficult.

Because he is suddenly aware that that warm presence beside him is the love of his life and every time Marinette shifts in her seat or moves to push her hair out of her face his eyes are drawn to her.

He is constantly staring at her from the corner of his eye.

And he finds, that she is doing the same to him from the corner of her eye.

And then they immediately look away and both blush like the pair of idiots that Plagg thinks they are.

It doesn't help that they keep accidently brushing against one another either. Sometimes when they are doing the class work and they reach for their pens their wrists accidently bump and their fingers brush against each other. It feels like a series of fireworks are going off beneath his skin as he accidently jerks away and drops his pen. Then, sometimes, when he shifts in his seat or Marinette shifts in hers, their thighs touch, and they both jump away.

"Sorry!" Marinette whispered, flustered and bright pink "So sorry!"

"No!" he whispered back. "I'm sorry!"

"You don't have anything to be sorry for," Marinette shook her head rapidly as she whispered hastily, "I was the one that moved."

"Adrien, Marinette," Ms Bustier said curtly, "do you two have something you would like to share with the class?"

"No Mi-"

" _Oh my God_!" Alya yelped. "The Mayor is being attacked by an Akuma!"

"WHAT?!" Chloe shrieked. "Who dares attack my Daddy?"

"Ms Bustier," Alya said eagerly as she, like everyone else, ignored Chloe's hysterics, "can I please go and film-"

"Absolutely _not_!" Ms Bustier said firmly. "Now as I was saying, this week we will be looking at-"

"Can I got to the bathroom, please?"

Marinette and Adrien immediately blushed as they realised they had simultaneously jumped out of their seats and shouted their request in perfect harmony.

"Oh for goodness sake!" Ms Bustier snapped impatiently. " _Fine!_ " she huffed as she flung her arms up in an 'I surrender' gesture. " _Go!_ " she waved a dismissing hand. "Go and make out in whatever cupboard it is and hopefully when you come back the two of you will actually _pay attention to class!_ "

The whole class laughed at that.

(Apart from Chloe, who fumed, and Sabrina who had to comfort her.)

Adrien was pretty sure he was going to die right there and then of mortification as both he and Marinette slunk out of class as quickly as possible.

 _God!_

Why couldn't their superhero powers include digging holes deep enough to hide in? Or better yet, why couldn't Hawk Moth attack any time outside of school hours?

Maybe it was because Hawk Moth could never pay attention in class either…


End file.
